Golf ball packaging and method of marking a golf ball

ABSTRACT

A package for golf balls, commonly known as a “sleeve”, includes a body having a plurality of side walls and end walls that define a hollow interior for receiving and containing the golf balls. The end walls close off ends of the body. At least one of the side walls contains a plurality of openings spaced apart from one another along a length of the side wall, Each opening is formed at a location that corresponds to and is in registration with a portion of one golf ball that is in closest proximity to the inner surface of the side wall, so as to allow each golf ball to be marked individually (by stencil or otherwise), from the outside of the body, or sleeve, by the user (golfer) by accessing the surface of the ball through the corresponding opening in the side wall.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/889,247, filed on Oct. 10, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention is generally directed to sports equipment and in particular to a packaging for golf balls that includes an integral feature that allows a golfer to mark individual golf balls.

BACKGROUND

Golf is a precision club and ball sport in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course using the fewest number of strokes. Golf is generally defined as playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the established rules.

Golfers need to distinguish their ball from other players' to ensure that they do not play the wrong ball. This is often done by the golfer making one or more marks on the surface of the ball using a permanent or other marker pen. A wide number of markings are used; many players write their initial in a particular color, or color in one or more dots or shapes on the ball. Many players make multiple markings so that at least one can be seen without having to lift the ball. In any event, the player must first remove the balls from the packaging, or sleeve, before making any markings. Marking tools such as stamps and stencils are available to speed the marking process and/or make it more decorative or unique. However, all these tools (a) are designed to require that the golf balls be removed from the packaging before they are marked, and (b) are external devices that must carried and/or stored by the user, independent of the golf balls and the packaging. Further, the process of hand-marking the balls outside of the packaging creates a risk that the user will mistakenly stain its hands and clothing with the ink from the marker.

SUMMARY

A package for golf balls, commonly known as a “sleeve”, includes a body having a plurality of side walls and end walls that define a hollow interior for receiving and containing the golf balls. The end walls close off ends of the body. At least one of the side walls contains a plurality of openings spaced apart from one another along a length of the side wall. Each opening is formed at a location that corresponds to and is in registration with a portion of one golf ball that is in closest proximity to the inner surface of the side wall, so as to allow each golf ball to be marked individually (by stencil or otherwise) from the outside of the body, or sleeve, by the user (golfer) by accessing the surface of the ball through the corresponding opening in the side wall. This marking process allows the golf balls to be marked without first removing them from the body, or sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of golf ball packaging (a sleeve) in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of golf ball packaging (a sleeve) in accordance with another embodiment and shown in a closed position;

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the golf ball packaging of FIG. 2A in an open position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of golf ball packaging (a sleeve) in accordance with another embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the golf ball packaging of FIG. 3 showing a process for marking a golf ball that is contained within the packaging;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of golf ball packaging (a sleeve) in accordance with another embodiment and shown in a closed position; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of golf ball packaging (a sleeve) in accordance with another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS

Golf balls are special balls designed to be used in the game of golf. Traditionally, golf balls are provided in packaging, such as a box. More specifically, the most common form of packaging for golf balls is to package a small number of balls, such as two or three, in a “sleeve” that is then packaged with other individual sleeves in a larger box for purchase by a golfer.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show golf ball packaging 100 in the form of a sleeve that contains three golf balls 10. The golf ball packaging 100 is traditionally formed of a paper material, such as cardboard (but the invention is not limited to paper or cardboard composition of the sleeve). The sleeve 100 is an elongated box that has a first end 110 and an opposing second end 112. Since the balls 10, which as spherical in nature, are intimately contained in the box, the sleeve 100 generally has a square cross-sectional shape. The sleeve 100 is thus defined by four side walls 114, 115, 116, 117 that define a square shape. The lengths and widths of each of the side walls 114, 115, 116, 117 is thus the same. The side walls 114, 115, 116, 117 are formed at right angles relative to one another. The sleeve 100 also includes a pair of end panels 120, 130 that are openable and closeable. In the closed position, the end panels 120, 130 close off the ends 110, 112 of the sleeve 100 so as to securely contain the balls 10 therein. Each end panel 120, 130 can be in the form of an end flap defined by an end wall 122 that is connected to one of the side walls 114, 115, 116, 117 in a hinged manner, thereby permitting the end wall 122 to open away from the ends of the side walls 114, 115, 116, 117.

The end flap 120, 130 can thus be integrally connected to the one side wall 114, 115, 116, 117 along a fold line 125 about which the end wall 122 can pivot to allow the end flap 120, 130 to open and close by being folded (pivoted) about this line 125. The end flap 120, 130 also includes a tab 124 which extends from and pivots relative to the end wall 122 about a fold line 127. When the end flap 120, 130 is closed, the tab 124 is disposed along one of the side walls 114, 115, 116, 117.

In accordance with the present invention, the sleeve 100 includes an integral marking feature that allows a golfer to directly mark the golf balls 10 while they remain contained within the sleeve 100. More specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, at least one side wall 114, 115, 116, 117 includes a marking feature 210. The marking feature 210 is in the form of a plurality of openings 210 that are formed in the side wall at specific locations that strategically align the opening 210 with an underlying golf ball 10. Since the golf ball 10 has a spherical shape, there is a portion 15 of the ball 10 that directly faces the side wall, This portion 15 of the ball 10 is the portion of the golf ball that is in closest proximity to the inner surface of the side wall. The openings 210 in the sleeve 100 are created in conjunction with the manufacturing and/or packaging process of the balls 10, and thus comprise an integral component of the sleeve 100 when purchased or otherwise acquired by user (golfer).

There is at least one opening 210 formed in the one side wall that is aligned with and is adjacent the portion 15 of the ball 10. The opening 210 is thus formed at a location that in in registration with the portion 15 of the ball 10 that is in closest proximity to the side wall in which the opening 210 is formed. In accordance with the present invention, there is one opening 210 per each ball 10 and thus, in a three-ball sleeve 100, there are three openings 210 spaced apart and formed along the side wall. The spacing between the openings 210 is purposely selected such that each of the openings 210 is aligned with one ball portion 15 of one ball 10. The opening 210 can be thought of as representing either a stencil structure (that permits the user to mark the ball with a marking that takes the form of the opening 210), or an marker access area (the permits the user to create its own unique marking on the ball within the area of the opening 210). If used as a stencil, a user (golfer) can easily mark each golf ball by using a writing implement, such as a marker or the like, which is placed inside of the opening 210 and then the golfer colors in the entire area of the opening 210 directly on the ball 10, resulting in a mark being formed on the ball 10 that has the appearance of the opening 210. In other words, if the opening 210 is in the form of a triangle as shown in FIG. 1, the mark that is formed on the ball 10 is likewise a triangle of the same size as the opening 210.

Referring now to FIG. 6, alternatively, or in conjunction, a user (golfer) can easily custom mark each golf ball 10 by using a writing implement, such as a marker or the like, which is placed inside of the opening 220 and then the golfer colors in or makes one or more marks within the area of the opening 220 resulting in one or more marks being formed on the surface of the ball that has any appearance chosen by the golfer. In other words, using the opening 220 a golfer could mark his or her initials or circles or create other unique marking on the balls 10. Like openings 210, the openings 220 are strategically placed to allow the user easy access to the golf ball 10 to allow the golfer to mark the golf ball as desired.

As mentioned above, the openings 210, 220 are strategically formed at spaced locations that correspond to the surface area of the ball 10 that is in closest proximity to the side wall. This allows the area of the side wall that surrounds the opening 210 to be placed into contact or close contact with the golf ball 10, thereby allowing a mark to be formed directly on the exterior surface of the golf ball 10 as shown in FIG. 4 without first removing the ball 10 from the sleeve 100.

It will be appreciated that the openings 210, 220 can have any number of different shapes and sizes. The shape and size of the opening 210, 220 provide the uniqueness to the marking to allow the balls of one golfer to be distinguishable from the balls of another golfer. Thus, the embodiment of FIG. 1 allows the user (golfer) to easily mark each ball with a triangular shaped mark so as to personalize the golf balls and allow them to be easily identifiable.

As mentioned herein, the shape of the opening 210, 220 can be any number of different shapes, including (but not limited to) regular shapes, such as circles, triangles, squares, crosshatches, stars, etc.; irregular shapes; numbers; letters; personalized symbols; logos; etc.; as well as any other openings allowing a user (golfer) to make its own unique markings on the balls 10. Further, the size of the opening 210, 220 can vary, allowing a greater range of variety and options in the marking process.

As shown in FIG. 3, in one embodiment, there can be two or more sets of different openings 210, 211 formed in the different side walls 114, 115, 116, 117. As shown, a first set of openings 210 can be formed along the side wall 114 and a second set of openings 211 can be formed along the side wall 116 which is located directly opposite the side wall 114. The user (golfer) can thus select whether to use the first set of openings 210 to mark the balls or the second set of openings 211 to mark the ball. In addition, the golfer would be able to mark one or more balls using openings 210 and one or more balls using openings 211.

The shapes of the openings 210, 211 are intended to be different from one another to allow the golfer to have an option between two different, visually distinguishable marks for placement on the golf ball.

The sleeve 100 of the present invention is thus designed to allow the golfer to mark the balls 10 without having to physically remove the balls 10 from the packaging (sleeve 100). The marking feature is thus integrally formed with the packaging and the golfer simply needs a writing or other marking implement to complete the marking process.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show an alternative embodiment in which the marking feature is located in one or both of the end flaps 120, 130. An opening 215 is formed in the end wall 122 and as in the other embodiment, this opening 215 acts as a stencil. The opening 215 allows the golfer to mark the ball in the manner described above. This alternative embodiment may also be utilized in conjunction with side wall markings 210.

In instances of a sleeve 100 that contained more than two balls 10, the balls 10 that are not immediately adjacent the end flap that contains the opening 215 can be marked by removing the ball from the sleeve and then placing the ball into contact with one surface (face) of the end wall 122 when it is in the open position shown in FIG. 2B. A writing or other marking implement is then used to color in, or draw or mark within, the opening 215 as described above to create the mark on the outer surface of the golf ball 10.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention that is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B with the exception that the sleeve includes a perforated seam 105 that extends around the periphery and is thus formed in each of the side walls 114, 115, 116, 117. The perforated seam 105 is located between the end golf ball and the adjacent middle golf ball. The perforated seam 105 can be easily ruptured by the consumer (golfer) to create a marker receptacle that is formed by the smaller broken-apart sleeve portion that terminates in the end wall 122 that includes the opening 125. This receptacle is sized to hold a single ball that is in registration with the opening 215 (stencil) to allow the ball contained within the receptacle to be marked. The integral marking feature (stencil/opening 215) and the perforated box (sleeve) section allow the consumer to easily mark the balls without needing a separate stencil or ball marking device. All that is needed is designed in the golf ball packaging itself.

It will be appreciated in the embodiments in which the sleeve (packaging) includes plural openings on plural walls with at least two separate openings being aligned with each golf ball, one of the two openings can be of size and shape to allow the user to manipulate the golf ball within the sleeve. For example, the two openings for each ball can be in the form of a first opening to mark the ball and a second opening for accessing the golf ball to allow simple adjustments of the golf ball's position in the sleeve. For example, if existing markings, such as a corporate logo or brand name, on the ball are seen through the first opening, thereby preventing a clean marking of the ball, the user can access the golf ball through the second opening and manipulate the ball (i.e., rotate) to cause the existing markings to be displaced from the first opening, thereby allowing a clean marking of the golf ball through the first opening.

While the present invention has been described above using specific embodiments, there are many variations and modifications that will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art. As such, the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A package for golf balls comprising: a body having a plurality of side walls and end walls that define a hollow interior for receiving and containing the golf balls, the end walls closing off ends of the body, wherein at least one of the side walls contains a plurality of openings spaced apart from one another along a length of the side wall, each opening being formed at a location that corresponds to and is in registration with a portion of one golf ball that is in closest proximity to the inner surface of the side wall so as to allow each golf ball to be marked individually by accessing the corresponding opening in the side wall, without having to first remove the balls from the body,
 2. The package of claim 1, wherein the body has a rectangular shape and the plurality of side walls comprises four side walls disposed at right angles relative to one another and the end walls are square shaped.
 3. The package of claim 1, wherein the body is configured to hold two, three, four, five or six golf balls.
 4. The package of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings comprises a first set of openings formed along one side wall and a second set of openings formed along another side wall.
 5. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings are formed linearly along the side wall.
 6. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings formed along a middle longitudinal axis that extends the length of the side wall.
 7. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings have the same shape.
 8. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings have different shapes.
 9. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the body is formed of a paper or other rigid or semi-rigid material and the plurality of openings are in the form of cutouts formed with a puncher or other means during the manufacturing and/or packaging process.
 10. A method for marking a golf ball that is contained within a golf ball sleeve packaging that includes a plurality of side walls to define an interior space for holding a plurality of golf balls, wherein at least one side wall contains a plurality of openings spaced apart from one another along a length of the side wall, each opening being formed at a location that corresponds to and is in registration with a portion of one golf ball that is in closest proximity to the inner surface of the side wall, the method comprising the steps of: stenciling or otherwise marking a surface of the golf ball using the opening allowing one or more marks to be formed on the surface of the golf ball. 